From the pious son of the building s doorkeeper and the raucous, impoverished squatters on it. The center of the book is the various stories of some of the people who live and work in the yacoubian building. The yacoubian building download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The yacoubian building 2006 the yacoubian building 2006. Its a sort of reverse upstairs, downstairs building, with the more wealthy living in multi room apartments on one of the ten floors, while the poor live in small tin huts on the roof. A novel and join the genius community of scholars to learn the meaning behind the words. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany overdrive. Alaa alaswanys novel the yacoubian building 2002, arabic. I had sympathy for taha in the beginning but his inability to accept and adapt is an annoying quality. The yacoubian building in cairo, has seen better days.
Alaa al aswany quotes author of the yacoubian building. On the yacoubian building, we witnessed the government oppression at its best. You dont have to be wellversed in the history of egypt to appreciate the yacoubian building, but it might make for an even richer viewing experience. With a discerning eye for detail yacoubians has become synonymous with fine custom tailoring and designer clothing for both men and ladies. I love the book, but give it four stars because i dont like the bittiness of the book. Buy the yacoubian building book online at low prices in india. Imarat yaqubyan is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. From the pious son of the building s doorkeeper and the raucous, impoverished squatters on its roof, via the tattered aristocrat and the gay intellectual in its. The yacoubian building of the title is a microcosm of much of cairo, and in telling the stories of various of its denizens alaa al aswany offers a. Aug 01, 2006 the yacoubian building is a novel about modernday cairo, using the residents of the building as a broad crosssection of egyptian society. But the war is not the focus of the book, it is pretty much background. Sex is big in this book, but not graphic sex, but rather sex seems to be pervasive in the lives of many of the residents, so do not let that put you off on this book. The themes of sexual predation and militant islam run powerfully through this novel, and there is hardly a character who doesnt have a brush with either.
The yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever made and, despite its nearly threehour running time, one of the most watchable. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany takes place in cairo in the 1990s during the first gulf war when iraq invaded kuwait and the u. The series featured major roles by salah alsaadni, izzat abou of, lobna abdel aziz, rania youssef and aser yasin. The people who live in the yacoubian building think a lot about sex and money, and opportunities, and how to better their lives. Tragicomic, passionate, shockingly frank in its sexuality, and brimming with an extraordinary, embracing human compassion, the yacoubian building is a literary achievement of the first order. The yacoubian building essay morgan gensler geog 209. The revolution was initially aimed at overthrowing king farouk. The following are excerpts from the yacoubian building by egyptian author alaa al aswany. Interview with director and star of the yacoubian building duration. The book focuses mainly on the residents of the yacoubian building, a oncechic but now rundown edifice that acts as a metaphor for cairos own deterioration.
In the course of this unforgettable novel, these disparate lives converge, careening inexorably toward an explosive conclusion. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany librarything. Alaa alaswanys novel the yacoubian building 2002, arabic tells the story of a group of people loosely bound together by dint of living in the same crumbling building a real place in downtown cairo. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He uncovers hypocrisies of power, religion, and love, but he refrains from judgement, leaving the reader to make their own evaluations. The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany 2006 not even. Yacoubian building film analysis 1848 words essay example. The yacoubian building omaret yakobean 2006 rotten. The yacoubian building is a 2007 egyptian television series based on the scenario of atef beshai and directed by ahmad saqr.
The film version of the book takes its salient elements and transforms them into a grand cinematic vision. But bleak and flawed as it is, the yacoubian building a. Themes in the yacoubian building by lancelot naipier. If you cant find good in your own country, you wont find it anywhere else. Sometimes, it is even intertwined with other themes. The yacoubian building is the sort of dense neighbourhood novel which, though quite out of. The yacoubian building holds all that egypt was and has become over the 75 years since its namesake was built on one of downtown cairos main boulevards. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007. Themes and controversy the yacoubian building was branded a. Kaelen wilsongoldie, the daily star beirut richly peppered with complex characters.
With adel emam, nour elsherif, youssra, essad youniss. This is almost an oldfashioned book like a family saga, except the family is the inhabitants of a the yacoubian building. Think of books like jane austens pride and prejudice or. This controversial bestselling novel in the arab world re. We and our partners use your information collected through cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our site, analyse. He decided to write one last novel, the yacoubian building, and attempt to have it. Some wealthy families occupy the large apartments there, but impoverished residents live on the roof in what was formerly servants quarters. But its a window into a culture that few of us get to see. However, the movement had more political ambitions, and soon moved to abolish the constitutional monarchy and aristocracy of egypt and sudan, establish a republic, end the british occupation of the country, and secure the independence of sudan. A feminist perspective of egypts yacoubian building. Through their various exploits, we learn about businessmen, politics, closet homosexuality, students, entrepeneurs and families living hand to mouth. A cynical, secretly gay newspaper editor, helplessly in love with a peasant security guard. Feb 12, 2006 the yacoubian building a sprawling, starstudded epic that spans all social classes in todays cairo, the yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever.
In the novel, the building is occupied by a middleclass community whilst. Egyptian sexuality in the 90s homosexuality was a taboo prostitution was made legal in late 18s up to early 19s. The yacoubian building 2006 the yacoubian building. In addition, by using a single structure as the physical locus in. Published in 2002 in its original arabic edition, the yacoubian building is a novel by egyptian author alaa al aswany. Aug 27, 2006 an actual downtown cairo landmark called the yacoubian building is the books unifying element, housing all strata of egyptian society. Buy the yacoubian building reprint by alaa al aswany, humphrey davies isbn. Prostitutes were given permits and had to be checked for disease every week. It is amusing, entertaining and deeply tragic, without ever losing a sense of optimism. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the yacoubian building.
The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany books the. Sep 03, 2007 buy the yacoubian building book online at best prices in india on. The movie was done in the year 2006 and was directed by marwan hamed. Really enjoyed this book which contains snapshots of some of the residents of the yacoubian building, and once we are introduced to them we follow them for a period of time. The yacoubian building notes of a spurkahye finally come. The yacoubian building has been made into an epic film and now into a television miniseries that has been the talk of arab society. Omaret yakobean still succeeds as an uncommonly bold meditation on many controversial, clandestine aspects of modern egyptian life. An actual downtown cairo landmark called the yacoubian building is the book s unifying element, housing all strata of egyptian society. Love the universal truth of love is a very common theme in literature and you will find countless examples of it. In yacoubian building, a richly layered tale of life in. At times tender, shocking, sweet, brutal, lighthearted and deadly, deadly serious, the yacoubian building offers insights into what it means to be an egyptian. In their stead, a new breed of cairenes has moved in. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Sep 14, 2007 m arwan hameds version of the bestselling novel by alaa al aswany is a portmanteau account of a handful of characters living in an apartment building in cairo in 1990, just before the first iraq. Al aswany highlights four broad themes that affect all levels of egytian life. The movie, yacoubian building, is based on a novel by the same title, which was written by an egyptian author called alaa al aswany. The story line is fastpaced and sweeps you along a panorama of egyptian lives. Tragicomic, passionate, shockingly frank in its sexuality, and brimming with an extraordinary, embracing human compassion, the yacoubian building is a.
Meditations on corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and drugs in. Teeming with frank sexuality and heartfelt compassion, this book is an important window on to the experience of loss and love in the arab world. Set in the late 20th century egypt, after the egyptian revolution of 1952, the yacoubian building started filling up with people from egypts lower class, while some others from the upper and middle classes stayed put. After making clothing by hand for over eight years yacoubian tailors incorporated readytowear clothing from the worlds top designers. In the hot evenings of autumn 2002, cairos streetside cafes were packed with. Military coup led by muhammad naguib and gamal abdel nasser. The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany bringing egypt to the. Buy the yacoubian building reprint by aswany, alaa al, davies, humphrey isbn. The yacoubian building is the sort of dense neighbourhood novel which, though quite out of style when set in london or. Alaa alaswanys novel the yacoubian building 2002, arabic tells the story of a group of people loosely bound together by dint of living in the same crumbling building a real place. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007 published in arabic in 2002 and in an english translation in 2004, the book, ostensibly set in 1990 at about the time of the first gulf war, is a roman a clef and scathing. Since you didnt show up, well give you a glimpse of some themes we discussed so you can feel a part of it.
The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany 2006 not even past. The yacoubian building is an apartment building which was built in egypts glory days. He made sure we discussed almost everything on the book, from characters, themes and egypt as a whole. In the yacoubian building, alaa al aswany creates a memorable cast of characters who, taken as a whole, may represent the range of groups or classes in contemporary egypt. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay topics, and key themes like hidden lives and wealth inequality. Themes in the yacoubian building by lancelot naipierkane. Its main genre is drama but it has also incorporated comedy within its context. Find films and movies featuring alaa al aswani on allmovie. Alaa al aswanys the yacoubian building qbc kicked off 20 by doing something a little closer to asia. Everyone is scheming in the yacoubian building, giving this novel the shape and tone of a soap opera. The yacoubian building, an immense scandal when first published because of its sexual frankness, has topped bestseller lists for two years and is now a film with a hollywoodsize budget. Aswany brings those who live and work there vibrantly alive. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany translated by humphrey daviesharper perennial, 2006, 255 pp.
It has been reported to be the highestbudgeted film in the history of egyptian cinema. Economics in the yacoubian building gender in the egyptian 90s apartment vs. In nearly every relationship in the story there is a physical connection, sex, between the two people. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Click download or read online button to get the yacoubian building book now. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany goodreads. Feb 22, 2005 the following are excerpts from the yacoubian building by egyptian author alaa al aswany. Yacoubian building houses uncomfortable truths the controversial, bestselling egyptian novel the yacoubian building describes a country that. The yacoubian building provides a glimpse into the complicated lives of residents of an egyptian building. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswaney christines book. Alaa alaswany is the bestselling author of three previous books published in arabic. The yacoubian building of the title is a microcosm of much of cairo, and in telling the stories of various of its denizens alaa al aswany offers a colourful picture of contemporary egypt.
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